MUSCAT: Vodafone Oman is marking its one-year anniversary in the Sultanate of Oman, laying out a bold roadmap for the future. The company has big dreams for Oman and since commencing commercial operations as the first 100% digital telecom operator, has ensured customers consistently enjoy an all-together elevated connection with the brand and its propositions.
Achieving 96% of its subscriber base target, and 109% of its EBITDA (against its 2022 budget), Vodafone closed 2022 with +450,000 customers, capturing approximately 7% of the market (against an initial target of 5%). Its competitive edge was centred on the My Vodafone App, with a fully digital onboarding process, auto payment, SIM and eSIM replacement, government services and much more, it is a one-stop-shop offering speed, convenience and personalised value-add. The successful app model was reaffirmed by its two million downloads, making it the only telecom app in Oman with a 100 % market penetration.
Bader al Zidi, CEO, Vodafone Oman, said: “Our first year of operations has been a truly remarkable journey, filled with excitement, innovations, challenges and learnings. I am very proud of our accomplishments, which continue to support the national objectives inline with Vision 2040 – but we will not be resting on the laurels of our successes so far. This is only the beginning, having set out on our mission to empower Oman with differentiated digital experiences. We have even bigger plans to come as we continue to bring the latest, best and most innovative digital solutions to the Sultanate.”
2023 will see Vodafone expand its proposition portfolio to cater to new customer demographics, lifestyles and needs, also introducing enterprise solutions to the country’s thriving business community. In addition, the company is looking to further invest and grow its retail footprint, across stores, booths and eStores; all the while continuing to provide personalised offers for customers. Against such ambitious plans, Vodafone has set targets to exponentially grow its customer base while fast-tracking its 5G network expansion plans to cover 60% of Oman’s population by end of 2023.
Born as a digital-first operator with a 100% cloud-based 5G network infrastructure, Vodafone Oman’s agility and partnerships with international and local companies, including SMEs, allowed it to achieve several milestones during 2022. It was first to enable 5G indoor coverage at Muscat International Airport – a capability available only in few airports around the world, as well as the first to successfully test 5G call on a standalone network, paving the way for the commercial introduction of 5G standalone voice and data services.
The company’s socio-economic impact goes beyond the realm of connectivity. In 2022, its in-country spend reached RO 68 million, while also generating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the market. During his keynote, Al Zidi highlighted how the company has leveraged its partnerships to help realise a collective responsibility in building a sustainable economic ecosystem, where businesses thrive and people prosper. “From large-scale partnerships to short-term projects and contracts, we prioritized Omani businesses and SMEs where possible and when it wasn’t we stipulated local talent development and hiring to further drive social and economic returns.”
Today, Vodafone’s retail network includes 71 Stores and eStores in addition to more than 3,700 distributors across Oman. The My Vodafone App is also available on Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and the Huawei AppGallery. Internationally, Vodafone customers can take their home tariffs to 118 roaming countries. All details can be found on www.vodafone.om
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